The AFCA has selected an All-America team since 1945 and currently selects teams in all five of its divisions. What makes these teams so special is that they are the only ones chosen exclusively by the men who know the players the best — the coaches themselves.

Lora led the nation in receiving yards per game at 138.67, total receiving yards at 1,664 and receptions per game with 11.33. He caught 12 touchdowns and threw for one touchdown. Thurmond led the nation in sacks with 15.5 and came in third in the nation in tackles for loss with 20. He had 56 total tackles, a forced fumble, a blocked kick, and is on the Buchanan Award watch list.

Team Background: The AFCA has selected an All-America team every year since 1945. The five teams now chosen for each AFCA division evolved from a single 11-player squad in 1945. From 1945 until 1967, only one team was chosen. From 1967 through 1971, two teams, University Division and College Division, were selected. In 1972, the College Division was split into College I and College II. In 1979, the University Division was split into two teams — Division I-A and Division I-AA. In 1996, the College I and College II teams were renamed Division II and Division III, respectively. In 2006, the Division I-A and Division I-AA teams were renamed Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) and Football Championship Subdivision (FCS), respectively. In 2006, the AFCA started selecting an NAIA-only team.

From 1965-81, a 22-player (11 offensive, 11 defensive) team was chosen. In 1982, a punter and placekicker were added to the team. In 1997, a return specialist was added, giving us the current 25-player team. The return specialist position was replaced by an all-purpose player in 2006.

Top Teams: Eastern Kentucky has been represented a total of 23 times by 21 players on the AFCA FCS Coaches’ All-America Team since 1979. The Colonels are followed by Appalachian State (23/17), Montana (21/20), Delaware (20/17), Furman (18/17), Northern Iowa (18/15), Eastern Washington (17/16), Georgia Southern (17/13), Lehigh (15/15), Youngstown State (15/14), Portland State (14/14), Grambling State (14/13), Stephen F. Austin (14/13), New Hampshire (14/12), Jackson State (13/12), Weber State (13/12), Eastern Illinois (12/11), Montana State (11/11), North Dakota State (11/11) and James Madison (10/10) among current FCS schools.

Top Conference: The Colonial Athletic Association (formerly Atlantic 10) (119 appearances/109 players) is tops among all FCS conferences on the AFCA FCS Coaches All-America Team since 1979. Following the CAA is the Southern (107 appearances/94 players), Missouri Valley Football (formerly Gateway) (84/78), Big Sky (81/79), Ohio Valley (62/58), Southland (61/56), Southwestern Athletic (54/52), Patriot (48/47), Ivy League (31/31), Mid-Eastern Athletic (30/28), Northeast (15/13), Pioneer (13/13) and Big South (9/9). These totals reflect FCS selections only from current conference members. Several schools had additional players chosen when they played in divisions other than FCS.

Consecutive Years: Eastern Kentucky leads all schools, having had at least one player named to the AFCA FCS Coaches’ All-America Team in each of the first 15 years a FCS team was chosen (1979-93).

Long Time Coming: Sophomore defensive lineman Davis Tull makes the AFCA FCS All-America Team for Tennessee-Chattanooga, marking the first time the Moc’s have had a representative since 1990, when defensive lineman Tony Hill and punter Pumpy Tudors both made the team.

Repeat After Me: Sam Houston State’s Darnell Taylor is the only player to be elected to the AFCA FCS All-American Team for the second consecutive year. Linebackers Gary Reasons of Northwestern State (La.) (1981-83) and Dexter Coakley of Appalachian State (1994-96) are the only three-time AFCA All-Americans in Football Championship Subdivision.

Yearly Leaders: Alabama State (2012-OL Terren Jones, DB Kejuan Riley and P Bobby Wenzig) joins Grambling State (1979-DL Joe Gordon, LB Aldrich Allen and DB Robert Salters) and Jackson State (1996-QB Grailyn Pratt, LB Otha Evans and DB Sean Woodson) as the only schools to have more than two players named to the AFCA FCS Coaches’ All-America Team in one year.

One Player, Two Schools: Punter Mark Bounds is the only player to earn Coaches’ All-America honors at two different schools. He was named to the AFCA College Division I team in 1990 while playing for West Texas A&M. He transferred to Texas Tech after West Texas dropped football and earned FBS All-America honors as a Red Raider in 1991.

Class Distinction: This year’s AFCA FCS Coaches’ All-America Team is made up of 18 seniors, five juniors and two sophomores.